South Florida Prepares for Potential Hurricane Irma Landfall

Published September 6, 2017•Updated on September 9, 2017 at 9:43 pm

From getting gas for their vehicles to buying all the supplies they can, residents and visitors across the area are getting ready for a potential strike from Hurricane Irma.

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The Germain Arena in Estero, Florida became an evacuation center where thousands of people flocked to on Saturday morning. Florida National Guardsmen are there to handle the crowds.

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People gather on the beach in Naples on Saturday, September 9, 2017, before the arrival of Hurricane Irma.

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People wait in line to enter the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida, on Saturday, September 9, 2017. It is serving as a shelter from the approaching Hurricane Irma, which is forecast to hit Florida's west coast on Sunday.

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People take shelter behind trees from the high winds and rain in Miami Beach, Florida, as Hurricane Irma approaches on Saturday, September 9, 2017.

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Brad Birrencott and Corey Shapiro work to load sandbags to place around their home in St. Petersburg, Florida, as they prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma on Saturday, September 09, 2017.

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A person looks out from behind doors as the outer bands of Hurricane Irma pass through in Miami Beach, Florida, on Saturday, September 9, 2017. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore Sunday at Category 4.

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People arrive at a shelter at Alico Arena in Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday, September 9, 2017, where thousands of Floridians are hoping to ride out Hurricane Irma. The Fort Myers area could begin to feel hurricane-force winds from Irma by 11 a.m. Sunday and experience wind gusts over 100 mph from Sunday through Monday.

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People enjoy the beaches and fishing pier in Naples before the arrival of Hurricane Irma into Southwest Florida on Sept. 8, 2017 in Bonita Springs, Florida. The Naples area could begin to feel hurricane-force winds from Irma by 11 a.m. Sunday and experience wind gusts over 100 mph from Sunday through Monday.

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David Goldman/AP
A Dayton Beach gas station runs out of gas ahead of Hurricane Irma in Daytona Beach, Florida, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Coastal residents around South Florida have been ordered to evacuate as the killer storm closes in on the peninsula for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend.

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Heavy traffic on Interstate 75 moves slowly, Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, in Forrest Park, south of Atlanta, Georgia. A massive evacuation has clogged Florida's major highways, forcing officials to open up the shoulders to drivers on Interstate 75 from Wildwood, where the Florida turnpike ends, to the Georgia state line.

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Mariners work together to secure each other's vessels at Harbor Square Marina as residents in the area prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 07, 2017 in Meritt Island, Florida.

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A cruise ship prepares to depart as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Current tracks for Hurricane Irma shows that it could hit south Florida this weekend.

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Workers board up Mango's Restaurant and Night Club as the city prepares for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017, in Miami Beach, Florida.

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Park officials fill sand bags for residents preparing for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2016, in Miami Beach, Florida. Current forecasts for Hurricane Irma shows that it could hit south Florida this weekend.

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Tourists and residents of Key West, Florida, heed evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017, clearing out streets and businesses ahead of the storm. Irma is forecasted to make landfall over the weekend.

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Mail boxes are wrapped in plastic as the city prepares for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 7, 2017, in Miami Beach, Florida. Current tracks for Hurricane Irma shows that it could hit south Florida later this weekend.

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A worker puts up metal siding over the glass windows of the Il Villaggio condominiums while preparing for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2016, in Miami Beach, Florida. Current forecasts for Hurricane Irma shows that it could hit south Florida this weekend.

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A steady stream of traffic heads north on Overseas Highway as mandatory evacuations continue in Monroe County and the Florida Keys on Sept. 6, 2017. The evacuation is ahead of Hurricane Irma, expected to make landfall on Florida this weekend.

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Bare shelves line a Miami grocery story after their supply of bottled water was emptied by people preparing for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017, in Miami, Florida.

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Motorists head north on US 1, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, north of Key Largo, Florida. Keys officials announced a mandatory evacuation Wednesday for visitors, with residents being told to leave the next day.

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Luis Lorenzo, left, and Jairo Ruiz, right, purchase plywood from The Home Depot as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017, in Miami, Florida. Irma is projected to hit the Sunshine State by the weekend.

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People purchase plywood at The Home Depot as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017 in Miami, Florida.

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Shoppers dealt with a limited amount of supplies that were picked up quickly at a Lowe's in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

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Shoppers gathered all the items they could at a Lowe's in Pembroke Pines, Florida, shortly after doors opened Wednesday morning on Sept. 6, 2017.

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A gas tanker arrives at a Key Largo gas station ahead of mandatory evacuations for people living in the Florida Keys. Hurricane Irma is projected to hit the Sunshine State by the weekend.

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Drivers hit the road before dawn in Key Largo ahead of evacuation orders for the Florida Keys.

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Jose Escobar and his son, Jose Escobar, Jr., install shutters over windows as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 5, 2017 in Homestead, Florida. A state of emergency has been declared in Florida as Irma has intensified to a Category 5 hurricane and heads toward the region.

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People line up for fuel in preparation for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 5, 2017, in Homestead, Florida. A state of emergency was declared in Florida as Irma has intensified to a Category 5 hurricane and heads toward the region.

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A woman installs hurricane shutters on her home in the Florida Keys on Sept. 5, 2017, in Islamorada, Florida. Residents are evacuating ahead of Irma, which is predicted to hit Florida over the weekend.